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Technical Details
- Brand Name: Kingston
- Model: WID/16GBZ
- Hard Disk Size: 16 GB
- Hard Disk Description: Portable
- Weight: 0.50 pounds
Product Details
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
Store and share your favorite content with your favorite people.
Kingston’s revolutionary new Wi-Drive™ gives you added, Flash-based storage for Apple devices and Kindle Fire and lets you share photos, videos, music and more with two other users on their own iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Kindle Fire. Share documents and other content, or stream media to break through the storage limitations of your iPad, iPod touch, iPhone or Kindle Fire.
With integrated Wi-Fi and four hours of battery life, Kingston's new Wi-Drive offers pocket-sized portable storage and easy file sharing for Apple devices and Kindle Fire. Accessing or sharing your personal media has never been easier. Take it anywhere, in your purse, backpack or briefcase, to share your files, music, photos, videos and more.
Wi-Drive is backed by a one-year warranty, free technical support and legendary Kingston® reliability.
Kingston’s Wi-Drive offers great:
- Portability: Wi-Fi enabled so you can take your favorite media with you — and not be tethered to your computer. Just use your digital device as a player and display.
- Expanded storage: Wi-Drive adds up to 64GB of storage space for more of your favorite music, photos, videos, PDFs and more.
- Casual Sharing: Wi-Drive lets you share your favorite media with two other users simultaneously — without any hassles.
Supported formats for audio files include AAC, MP3, and WAV formats. Playable video files include H.264, m4v, mp4, mov and Motion JPEG (M-PEG). You can view static images of types JPG, BMP, and TIFF and documents in Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office, or Apple iWork formats (pdf, doc, docx, key, numbers, pages, ppt, pptx, txt, rtf, xls).
Access to the drive is done over the 802.11 g/n protocol, just like your typical home wireless hub. Carry extra files and content with you and use your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Kindle Fire as a display to share information.
Stop worrying about filling up the space on your Apple mobile device or Kindle Fire. Keep a Kingston Wi-Drive in your pocket and share files securely with friends or colleagues — all your files are shareable over a secure local network.
iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Product Description
With integrated Wi-Fi and four hours of battery life, Kingston's new Wi-Drive offers pocket-sized portable storage and easy file sharing for Apple devices, including iPod touch Gen 3 & 4, iPhone and iPad. Accessing or sharing your personal media has never been easier. With Wi-Drive, you can add another 16 or 32GB of space accessed wirelessly from your digital device. The content can be shared by three people so you are no longer limited to the space available within your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Whether at home, by the pool or on the road, Wi-Drive lets you take more content with you without running out of storage space. Just back-up your files before you go and wirelessly access them from Wi-Drive when you need them. Portability: Wi-Fi enabled so you can take your favorite media with you - and not be tethered to your computer. Just use your digital device as a player and display. Expanded storage: Wi-Drive adds up to 32GB of storage space for more of your favorite music, photos, videos, PDFs and more. It's also a great companion for Windows users on iPads, as it removes the frustration of using auto sync to view content. Casual Sharing: Wi-Drive lets you share your favorite media with three users simultaneously - without any hassles. Access to the drive is done over the 801.11 g/n protocol, just like your typical home wireless hub, with a password. Carry extra files and content with you and use your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch as a display to share information. Best of all, Wi-Drive is backed by legendary Kingston reliability, free tech support and a one-year warranty.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
288 of 305 people found the following review helpful
By Chris E
Amazon Verified Purchase
The Kingston Wi-Drive is an idea whose time has come. It works well and makes viewing movies and other multimedia files via your iPhone/iPad very easy.
However, there is one hidden drawback that makes the device far less desirable: it is formatted in FAT32 and thus will not allow any file larger than 4gb to be copied over. Let me repeat that so that it is very clear: you cannot copy a file larger than 4gb to this device and there is no workaround for this limitation. For those of you that are in the IT field, you understand what this limitation means. For those of you not tech-savvy, what this means is that the largest size file that you can copy onto this device is about 4gb. Now that may not sound like a big deal, but when you have a studio-produced movie file often the size of the file exceeds 4gb. For home movies, song files and other basic multimedia files this is not a deal breaker. But if you are using the device like I am, for watching Hollywood movies, then you will run headlong into this limitation.
I contacted Kingston support to confirm that there is no workaround to this problem and they did confirm that this is a fixed limitation. The drive cannot be reformatted to NTFS due to the configuration files for management of the wireless connectivity. What really is frustrating is that Kingston chooses to hide this issue from the consumer. No where is there any mention of this little restriction, and I believe that this type of fact should be clearly disclosed in the product description.
Otherwise this is a great little device. It's small, light, easy to work with, and the streaming of the files has so far worked flawlessly. Unfortunately, the file size limitation severely reduces the number of production movies that you will be able to copy to the drive.
[...]
November 13th, 2011:
Please click the COMMENTS link below to see a reply to my post and my subsequent reply to that post. A suggestion to use a freeware application named Handbrake resulted in my ability to rip the original HD files over 4gb into reduced-size files optimized for my iPad. Once I ripped (reformatted) the files, I ended up with a file that was less than half the size that I could move to my Wi-Drive. There was no loss of quality and I now can watch all of my movies via the Wi-Drive.
However, there is one hidden drawback that makes the device far less desirable: it is formatted in FAT32 and thus will not allow any file larger than 4gb to be copied over. Let me repeat that so that it is very clear: you cannot copy a file larger than 4gb to this device and there is no workaround for this limitation. For those of you that are in the IT field, you understand what this limitation means. For those of you not tech-savvy, what this means is that the largest size file that you can copy onto this device is about 4gb. Now that may not sound like a big deal, but when you have a studio-produced movie file often the size of the file exceeds 4gb. For home movies, song files and other basic multimedia files this is not a deal breaker. But if you are using the device like I am, for watching Hollywood movies, then you will run headlong into this limitation.
I contacted Kingston support to confirm that there is no workaround to this problem and they did confirm that this is a fixed limitation. The drive cannot be reformatted to NTFS due to the configuration files for management of the wireless connectivity. What really is frustrating is that Kingston chooses to hide this issue from the consumer. No where is there any mention of this little restriction, and I believe that this type of fact should be clearly disclosed in the product description.
Otherwise this is a great little device. It's small, light, easy to work with, and the streaming of the files has so far worked flawlessly. Unfortunately, the file size limitation severely reduces the number of production movies that you will be able to copy to the drive.
[...]
November 13th, 2011:
Please click the COMMENTS link below to see a reply to my post and my subsequent reply to that post. A suggestion to use a freeware application named Handbrake resulted in my ability to rip the original HD files over 4gb into reduced-size files optimized for my iPad. Once I ripped (reformatted) the files, I ended up with a file that was less than half the size that I could move to my Wi-Drive. There was no loss of quality and I now can watch all of my movies via the Wi-Drive.
63 of 68 people found the following review helpful
Have you ever found yourself wishing you could extend the storage of your smartphone or tablet? If so, Kingston has stepped up to provide you with a solution. The Wi-Drive is a wireless storage solution for your device--and it's a good one.
PROS:
- Easy to set up
- Supports all native iOS file types
- Android support coming in November '11
- Acts as a bridge to extend Wi-Fi connection
- Connectivity for up to three devices
- Small and sleek design
CONS:
- Bridge mode currently doesn't support unadvertised Wi-Fi networks
- Can get pretty warm
IN THE BOX
The Wi-Drive comes with a Getting Started guide, a wall plug for charging, and a USB cable
DESIGN
The Wi-Drive is basically a flash-based USB storage device that comes in 16GB and 32GB sizes. Since it uses flash memory, rather than a mechanical drive, the Wi-Drive is incredibly slim and light.
The exterior is made out of a glossy plastic that looks great, but attracts a fair amount of dust and fingerprints. At the top of the Wi-Drive is a standard mini-USB port for connecting it to a computer and for charging. On the right side is a small power button and a pinhole reset button.
Despite the thin plastic material for the housing, the Wi-Drive feels pretty well-made. It does creak a bit though, if you put pressure on the plastic housing. I also wish it had non-skid feet on the backside to keep it from sliding around.
SETUP
Setting up the Wi-Drive is pretty simple and involves just three steps: 1. Connect the Wi-Drive to a computer and transfer files over 2. Install the free Wi-Drive app 3. Connect your device to the Wi-Drive over Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Drive can be connected to a Windows XP computer and higher, Mac OS 10.5 and higher, and Linux 2.6 and higher. No drivers are needed as the Wi-Drive just shows up as an external USB drive. For maximum compatibility, the drive is formatted in FAT32. When I connected the 16GB model, it showed a formatted capacity of 14.3GB. Once connected, I transferred over some music, photos, video files and documents to the Wi-Drive.
After transferring the files over, I downloaded the free Wi-Drive app from the App Store. The Wi-Drive only supports iOS devices currently, but I'm told that Android support is coming in November. Out of the box, the Wi-Drive is configured as an open Wi-Fi network. I went into the iPad's network settings and the drive showed up in the network list as "Wi-Drive."
If you want to keep the contents of your Wi-Drive private, you can change the device name (SSID), disable advertising (visibility), and set a password using WPA2. You can also set up bridge mode so that you can connect to the Wi-Drive and a Wi-Fi network at the same time. Without configuring bridge mode, you'll only be connect to the Wi-Drive itself, but not the Internet. Unfortunately, the firmware in the Wi-Drive doesn't support unadvertised networks yet, but I'm told that it's in the works.
USAGE
The Wi-Drive is very easy to use. First, you connect to the Wi-Drive over your device's Wi-Fi connection, then launch the Wi-Drive app and browse the drive for media. Tap on the media you want to view or hear and that's pretty much it. You can even transfer files from the Wi-Drive to your device, if you feel like keeping something locally.
I had no problems with music, videos, photos, or documents. All the streaming content was smooth and free from lag or stuttering. If you want something that just works, the Wi-Drive is it. The only issue I had was that the drive does get a little warm so you might not want to store it in your pants pocket while it's in use.
Battery life is rated at 4 hours and the power button doubles as a battery indicator. A green LED indicates 51-100% battery life remaining. An orange LED indicates 25-50% remaining and a red LED indicates less than 25% charge remaining.
CONCLUSION
The Kingston Wi-Drive is dead simple to set up and even easier to use. The form factor keeps the drive conveniently portable for use on the go and with an Android app coming soon, the popularity of the Wi-Drive is bound to go up. If you're looking to add storage to your smartphone or tablet, the Wi-Drive is one of the easiest and coolest ways to do it.
* Review unit provided by Kingston
PROS:
- Easy to set up
- Supports all native iOS file types
- Android support coming in November '11
- Acts as a bridge to extend Wi-Fi connection
- Connectivity for up to three devices
- Small and sleek design
CONS:
- Bridge mode currently doesn't support unadvertised Wi-Fi networks
- Can get pretty warm
IN THE BOX
The Wi-Drive comes with a Getting Started guide, a wall plug for charging, and a USB cable
DESIGN
The Wi-Drive is basically a flash-based USB storage device that comes in 16GB and 32GB sizes. Since it uses flash memory, rather than a mechanical drive, the Wi-Drive is incredibly slim and light.
The exterior is made out of a glossy plastic that looks great, but attracts a fair amount of dust and fingerprints. At the top of the Wi-Drive is a standard mini-USB port for connecting it to a computer and for charging. On the right side is a small power button and a pinhole reset button.
Despite the thin plastic material for the housing, the Wi-Drive feels pretty well-made. It does creak a bit though, if you put pressure on the plastic housing. I also wish it had non-skid feet on the backside to keep it from sliding around.
SETUP
Setting up the Wi-Drive is pretty simple and involves just three steps: 1. Connect the Wi-Drive to a computer and transfer files over 2. Install the free Wi-Drive app 3. Connect your device to the Wi-Drive over Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Drive can be connected to a Windows XP computer and higher, Mac OS 10.5 and higher, and Linux 2.6 and higher. No drivers are needed as the Wi-Drive just shows up as an external USB drive. For maximum compatibility, the drive is formatted in FAT32. When I connected the 16GB model, it showed a formatted capacity of 14.3GB. Once connected, I transferred over some music, photos, video files and documents to the Wi-Drive.
After transferring the files over, I downloaded the free Wi-Drive app from the App Store. The Wi-Drive only supports iOS devices currently, but I'm told that Android support is coming in November. Out of the box, the Wi-Drive is configured as an open Wi-Fi network. I went into the iPad's network settings and the drive showed up in the network list as "Wi-Drive."
If you want to keep the contents of your Wi-Drive private, you can change the device name (SSID), disable advertising (visibility), and set a password using WPA2. You can also set up bridge mode so that you can connect to the Wi-Drive and a Wi-Fi network at the same time. Without configuring bridge mode, you'll only be connect to the Wi-Drive itself, but not the Internet. Unfortunately, the firmware in the Wi-Drive doesn't support unadvertised networks yet, but I'm told that it's in the works.
USAGE
The Wi-Drive is very easy to use. First, you connect to the Wi-Drive over your device's Wi-Fi connection, then launch the Wi-Drive app and browse the drive for media. Tap on the media you want to view or hear and that's pretty much it. You can even transfer files from the Wi-Drive to your device, if you feel like keeping something locally.
I had no problems with music, videos, photos, or documents. All the streaming content was smooth and free from lag or stuttering. If you want something that just works, the Wi-Drive is it. The only issue I had was that the drive does get a little warm so you might not want to store it in your pants pocket while it's in use.
Battery life is rated at 4 hours and the power button doubles as a battery indicator. A green LED indicates 51-100% battery life remaining. An orange LED indicates 25-50% remaining and a red LED indicates less than 25% charge remaining.
CONCLUSION
The Kingston Wi-Drive is dead simple to set up and even easier to use. The form factor keeps the drive conveniently portable for use on the go and with an Android app coming soon, the popularity of the Wi-Drive is bound to go up. If you're looking to add storage to your smartphone or tablet, the Wi-Drive is one of the easiest and coolest ways to do it.
* Review unit provided by Kingston
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By G. Henderson
Amazon Verified Purchase
I received my Wi-Drive in late November and have found that it works as advertised without problem. Contrary to earlier reviews, I have found that the unit does work when charging from the wall charger, possibly the firmware has been updated from earlier versions. There is also a beta app available for Android devices in the Android Market. (Not yet available for the Kindle Fire in the Amazon app store.) I have also found that the signal range is very good and easily exceeds the advertised 30 feet. All in all, a great product to increase your mobile devices storage.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not worth the money
When I bought this item I got it with the intention to free up space on my iPad. In short it has not lived up to my expectations. Read more
Published 2 months ago by MDG
5.0 out of 5 stars
New
NEW PRODUCT FOR ME AND I USED FOR BACKUP ON NOTEBOOK. Had no problems using on my other devices boothing them up..
Published 3 months ago by Guy Hauck
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Cap Space
I'm not really a high tech nerd or anything. I got this to store music on to save my cpu some space. It did the trick. I dont use the wi fi part of it.
Published 3 months ago by John R.
2.0 out of 5 stars
mine failed after few months.
I used pretty good in couple months.
I was trying to update firmware in pc/mac. both failed on me. and now it didn't stream mp3, mp4, avi for other device. Read more
I was trying to update firmware in pc/mac. both failed on me. and now it didn't stream mp3, mp4, avi for other device. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Borae Cho
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for family use
We have been using this for a year and love it. We have our girls' movies loaded on it and they can watch them when they want. Software is easy to install and use. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Texas Mommy
1.0 out of 5 stars
um doesnt do anything
My wifi was broken and by the time I tried this item it was too late to return it. I'll probably just throw it out. Ive tried it on various computers, and nothing. Zilch. Read more
Published 7 months ago by dj
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great device!!!
OK, I like to take products to the limit and find all they can do. Besides using the unit as it is intended as a wireless storage, it work also as a multimedia router. Read more
Published 7 months ago by RLohengrin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wi - Drive Kicks Butt
I purchased this product because I was running out of room on my iPad. I loaded it up and in no time it was streaming videos and music to my iPad. Read more
Published 7 months ago by jabber
4.0 out of 5 stars
Works well but could be a touch better
I got this for my wife for her Ipad. When connected to a laptop or PC, she can connect to it wirelessly from her Ipad. Read more
Published 7 months ago by terster
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review
I have no idea. It was a birthday gift for my daughter and as far as I know, it has performed well for her.
Published 8 months ago by Gary
